Family racing to hospital with police escort wins speeding ticket fight

The Public Prosecutor decided to scrap the fine issued for a wheelchair bus in Rotterdam during an escorted rush to the hospital October 16th. Anouk Groenendijk, 17, suffers from a severe muscle and metabolic disorder, which has her bound to a wheelchair. On October 16th she had an unexplained arrhythmia. Ambulances responded to her home and due to her wheelchair, the ambulance workers decided it would be easier to transport her to the hospital in the family's wheelchair-friendly bus rather than in the ambulance. They set off in an escort, with an ambulance in front, the family bus driven by an ambulance worker in the middle and a police van in back. Both police van and ambulance had their sirens blaring. The police closed down the crossings on Maasboulevard to make room for the urgent transport. But the motorcade was caught in a speed trap driving 13 kilometers above the speed limit, resulting in a 76 euros fine. Anouk's father objected to the fine, but his complaint was initially rejected because "the interest of other road users" outweigh Mr. Groenendijk's statement. The Public Prosecutor reconsidered and decided to scrap the fine. "Upon closer inspection, the prosecutor determined that, because of the special circumstances, the registered owner of the wheelchair bus will not be held responsible", the Prosecutor said in a statement on Monday.